The cholera cases in Zambia recorded last October have progressively increased to the point of causing a national emergency. Almost 15,000 cases have been recorded in the country with 560 deaths (latest WHO figure on 27 January), 505 of them in the capital. In the Eastern Province, where we operate, fortunately only 151 cases with 2 deaths.
Due to the spread of the epidemic, coinciding with the rainy season, the government closed all schools for the month of January and then further extended the closure to 12 February.
Closed days will be made up in the following holiday months. Remember that the Zambian school year follows the solar calendar, alternating three months of school with one month of holidays (January, February, March, school, April holiday and so on). As a result, our plans for 2024 will also be compulsorily delayed.
The start of construction of our fourth school in Mkanda Mateyo is unlikely to begin before April.
The monitoring, planned in January on the impact of our Project on communities, children and school services will be postponed to the summer, due to school closures.
The new training course for volunteer teachers, planned for April, in Kasenengwa district, will be postponed by one term due to the forced absence of our teacher trainers, who will have to work for the Ministry during the usual holiday period.
Anyway, this is just a forced pause, but the projects go on.
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